Animal diseases

Emergency animal diseases are likely to have severe consequences for livestock productivity, trade or possibly even human health. By remaining vigilant and acting quickly if you suspect an emergency animal disease, you may be able to prevent these consequences.

What should I do?

To report an outbreak call the national Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

For information or advice contact your LLS District Veterinarian, a DPI veterinarian, or your private vet.

What are emergency animal diseases?

An emergency animal disease is defined nationally as a disease that meets one or more of the following criteria.

It is a known disease that does not normally occur in Australia, and it is considered to be in the national interest for the country to be free from that disease.

It is a variation of a disease that does occur normally in Australia, if established here, would have a national impact.

It is a serious infectious disease of unknown or uncertain cause, which may, on the evidence available at the time, be an entirely new disease or one not included in the national list of emergency diseases.

It is a disease that does occur sporadically in Australia, but is occurring in such a severe outbreak form that an emergency response is required to ensure that there is neither a large scale epidemic of national significance, nor serious loss of market access.

In NSW the term ‘emergency animal disease’ includes any disease that is:

included in the national Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA), and/or

declared at any time by the Chief Veterinary Officer of NSW (CVO) to be an emergency animal disease.

Legal requirement to notify

Most emergency animal diseases are already included in the list of diseases that are notifiable. You have a legal obligation, to notify authorities as soon as you know or even just suspect the presence of a notifiable disease.